The Bongo Club

Centrally located in Edinburgh's Cowgate, The Bongo Club is an Edinburgh institution if ever there were one – offering up a stellar selection of clubs that have helped build its reputation as one of the best places to boogie into the wee hours, bolstered by occasional gig nights and – yes! – its very own beer garden too.

Currently home to some of the Edinburgh's best-loved club nights, the venue's musical policy takes in roots, dub, funk, soul, electro and more – basically, it's the perfect antidote if you've been subjected to too much chart music. Bongo's Tuesday night regular I Love Hip Hop is a slam dunk with the student population, which spinning out a cherry-picked selection of classics and fresh squeezings of the new stuff on the scene. Which, of course, is a relief from all of the pseudo hip-hip clubs which spew out a stale playlist of tracks both played-out and played-to-death. There's also a hearty roundup of resident DJs to choose from, including Stevie Messenger, Trendy Wendy and Steve Austin.

Bongo also has a fiercely loyal hoard of punters who, when the venue faced closure in 2012, took off their party-hats and put on their thinking caps. Through a mixture of stoic campainging, press coverage and a dash of elbow grease, Bongo was saved, and continues to invigorate Edinburgh's club culture, night after Big n Bashy night. Thankfully.

To sum up: an Edinburgh institution.